Check-lock.



S. C. WEBB.

CHECK LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1915.

Patented Jan. 9, 191?.

A W F FIG. 7

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STATES PATEB T SAMUEL C. WEBB, 0F EITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHECK-LOCK.

Application filed. June 7, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. WEBB, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Check-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to check locks, and particularly to looks for use on mining cars.

In many mines, and especially coal mines, it is the practice to provide each miner or cutter with a number of checks or tokens, one of which he secures to each car of ore or coal mined or cut by him to be removed by the checker at the discharge point as a record of the particular miners work. These checks or tokens are usually perforated metal disks which are hung on a nail on the car or are inserted in some device or receptacle thereon, said device being so arranged that when the car is tilted or tipped at the discharging point the check is released or unlocked for removal by the checker.

The object of this invention is to provide a check lock of this kind which is of simple construction and design, which can be made at low cost,-which is strong and durable and is not liable to be injured or permit injury of the mechanism in service, which protects the check when inserted therein and may be easily manipulated to lock the check therein, which forms an efficient and satisfactory lock to absolutely prevent removal of the check in any other position than when tilted or inclined at the dumping point, and whose interior parts are wholly inclosed or incased and are so constructed and arranged as to prevent unauthorized tampering with the device or the unauthorized removal of a check therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which will also receive and look a socalled cutters check in addition to the niiners check.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line 11, Fig. 2, showing the lock applied to the side wall or surface of a mining car, and illustrating the miners and cutters checks secured therein; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device removed from the car, as seen from the left in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in their normal posi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

serial No. 32,592.

tion; Fig. 8 is a similar view with the parts in the position when the car is tilted or inclined at the dumping point; Fig. a is a sectional elevation on the line Jr- 1, Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively edge and face views of the miners and cutters checks in assembled relation; and Fig. 7 is a face view of another form of check.

Referring to the drawings, the check lock illustrated comprises a casing or body 1 having a front wall 2, parallel'side walls 3, a curved or arched roof at. and a bottom 5, forming a box or container with a hollow chamber (3- therein for the working parts of the device. This boX or container is sur rounded on its sides and top by a flat flange or run 7 provided with suitable means for securing the casing to the side wall of the car, such as the perforated bosses 8 to receive bolts or rivets 9 passing through the car wall 10. When the device is attached to the car, as shown in Fig. 1, all of the working parts are therefore completely inclosed within the chamber 6 and are protected. from injury or from being tampered with or manipulated by unauthorized persons.

The floor 5 of the casing forms a support for the working parts of the lock, which are attached thereto in any suitable manner, and lie directly over a narrow slot or opening 12 in the floor which extends outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the car wall when the device is applied thereto, and through which slot or opening the check 16 is inserted into the lock. The side walls 3 of the casing depend or extend below the floor 5, and the front wall 2 ias a depending slotted car 17 opposite the outer end of the slot or opening 12, so as to protect the check or checks from injury by external blows when'locked to the device, as shown in Fig. 1, and yet leave plenty of room for the fingers in manipulating the check. The slot in ear 17 is not essential with a small check, but enables larger checks than those shown in Fig. 1 to be used, said checks when in locked position then extending into the slot in the ear 17, as will be readily understood.

The locking parts of the device are carried by a suitable support or frame consisting of two members 20 and 21, which have flat faces abutting or meeting in a plane normal to the car wall, and one or both of which is cored out to provide a thin semicircular cavity or channel 22 between said members to receive the check 16. These two members are secured to each other in any suitable way, as by rivets or bolts 23, and one or both of them, such as the member 21, may have a laterally extending ear or ears 24 which can be bent into a slot or opening in the other member 20, if desired. This forms a very rigid connection with the members accurately spaced apart so that the cavity or slot 22 is the proper width to receive one and only one check therein.

The support or frame is secured to the casing by bolts or rivets 11 which pass through the floor 5 of the casing and flanges 25 of the members 20 and 21 which rest on said floor, as shown in Fig. 2, and the vertical wall portions of said members which meet to form the cavity for the cheek may be cut out or otherwise formed on a curve, as shown at 26, Fig. l, and may have depending end portions extending downwardly through the slot 12, as shown at 27, Fig. 2. The upper portion of one of said members, such as the member 21, is provided with perforated ears 28 to receive a pin 29 which forms a pivot for a movable locking member 30. Said locking member hangs from the pivot pin 29 and swings about the same as an axis, its motion in both directions being caused by gravity. It is provided with a depending hook-shaped portion having an arm 30 which in normal position of the lock, as when the car is in a horizontal position or on a level track, extends through oppositely disposed openings 31 in the vertical'walls of the members 20 and 21. The lower edge of this arm is straight, and in locking position of said member is normal to the plane of the check. Consequently, it cannot be unlawfully manipulated by a thin tool inserted at one side of the check, as it might be if the edge of the locking member were inclined. Each check is provided with an opening l6 into which the arm 30 of the locking member moves when opposite said opening, thereby preventing the check from being withdrawn from the device when fully inserted thereinto. To further insure unauthorized withdrawal of the check, the upper portions of the members 20 and 21 are cored out on their meeting faces to provide a cavity 33 in which is located a compression spring 34 pressing downwardly on a movable plug or abutment provided with a pinorfprojection 35 extending downwardly through an opening 36 at the bottom of said chamber and in the plane of the slot 22. The projection 35 is of such length that when no check is in the device it extends downwardly into the path of movement of the arm 30, so that said projection forms a stop to prevent said arm returning fullv to its normal position when a check is withdrawn from the lock. When thecheck is inserted it lifts the projection and thereby releases the arm 30 so that it enters the opening in the check when said opening comes opposite said arm. Then the check is released from the hand the spring 3% forces it downwardly against the arm 30 of the locking member and prevents the latter from swinging by gravity to release the check. To further insure un authorized withdrawal of the check the free end of the arm 30 is preferably provided with an upwardly extending teat or projection 37, forming a shoulder which will engage with the check if the arm by any chance should happen to move toward check releas ing position. i

The outer edge of the locking member 30 may be provided with an outwardly extending arm 38 arranged to engage a shoulder or abutment 39 on one of the members 20 or or 21 when the locking member is in looking position, as in Fig. 4:, and thereby prevents it from moving too far. Said member may also be provided beneath said arm 38 with a shoulder 40 which engages the abutment 39 in moving to check releasing position. This abutment 39 prevents unauthorized manipulation of the lock, such as by a workman pressing upwardly on the check and striking the casing a blow with a hammer to cause the locking member to swing to release position. In so doing it strikes the abutment 39;, or, if desired, may be so arranged as to strike the side casing wall 3, and the quick rebound of said member to locking position prevents the miner from removing the check from the device. This arrangement therefore forms a very secure lock for the check and prevents unauthorized removal of the check by' one miner and substitution of his own check therefor before the car reaches the checker at the dumping station.

In use of the device the miner inserts his check with the cutters check attached thereto if necessary into the slot in the bottom of the device and pushes the check up. until, locked therein. lVhen the car reaches the dumping place outside the mine it is tipped or tilted to an inclined position, which posit1on 1t never reaches until the dumping operation. When-the car is in the inclined position the lock is in the position shown in Fig. 3, and while in said position the checker grasps the check and pushes upwardly against the pressure of the spring 34. a This enables the locking device 30- to swing by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the check or checks to be Withdrawn from the lock. l/Vhen the car is tilted back to normal position the locking arm 30' engages the projection 35, which holds it back until the projection is lifted by inserting the 'neXt check. 7 This lock may be used with the ordinary flat circularperforated check, as shown in Fig. 7, but special checks may be'provided; therefor, if desired, such for example, as

the checks shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In these views the miners check 16 is shown pressed to form one or a plurality of vertical ribs or corrugations 41, to engage corresponding channels or grooves 42 in the walls of the cavity 22, to thereby guide the check to proper locking position and insuring the insertion of the check into the device in proper position. The cutters check 43 is provided at one point in its periphery with a tongue which is bent back upon the body of the check to form a hook A3 When a cutters check is to be locked in the device the hook 423*"- is slipped into the opening of the check in the position shown in Fig. 6 with the cut-ters check hanging from the miners check 16. The miners check is then inserted into the lock, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4c, in which position the major portion of the opening 16 is within the walls of the frame members 20 and 21. In this position the exposed portion of the opening 16 is too small to enable the cutters check to be removed from the miners check, so that both checks are eifectively and securely locked to the device.

This check lock is of simple construction and entirely prevents unauthorized removal of a check by any person in any way, as all the working parts are inclosed and are so arranged as to prevent unauthorized manipulation thereof. It consequently insures a correct credit to each miner or cutter for the work done by him and thereby prevents frequent disagreements between employer and employee.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A check lock, comprising a casing having a chamber therein and provided with a slot to receive a check, a hollow support therein, a depending freely swinging looking member carried by said support and arranged to engage a check, and a movable abutment in the cavity of said support for temporarily preventing said locking member from moving to locking position.

2. A check lock, comprising a hollow casing for attachment to a car side and provided with a slot to receive a check, a support therein, a depending locking member carried by said support and arranged to engage an opening in said check, means for exerting downward pressure upon said check to prevent disengagement of the looking device therefrom, and a projection on said locking member arranged to prevent accidental withdrawal of said member through the check opening.

3. A check lock, comprising a casing providedwith a slot to receive a check, a support therein provided with a check receiving cavity, a yielding abutment above said cavity for engaging the check, and a swinging locking device having an arm arranged to move across the plane of said cavity beneath said abutment.

4. A check lock, comprising a casing provided with a slot to receive a check, a support therein provided with a check receiving cavity, a yielding abutment above said cavity for engaging the check, and a swinging locking device having an arm arranged to move across the plane of said cavity beneath said abutment, said abutment when arojected extending into the path of movement of said arm and forming a stop to temporarily prevent it from moving to locking position.

5. A check lock, comprising a casing having a cavity to receive a check, the walls of said cavity being provided with channels, means carried by the casing arranged to engage the check to lock the same, and a check provided with ribs arranged to engage the grooves of said cavity for guiding the check to locking position.

6. A check lock, comprising a casing having a cavity to receive a check, the walls of said cavity being provided with channels, means carried by the casing arranged to engage the check to lock the same, a check provided with ribs arranged to engage the grooves of said cavity for guiding the check to locking position, and a cutters check having a hook-shaped portion at its edge adapted for insertion into the opening in said first named check.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL G. WEBB.

Witnesses WILLIAM B. WHARTON, GLENN H. LERESCHE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

